AKIHO

Breed Examination Criteria

  • Essence and its expression
    　Calm and dignified, full of majesty, loyal and simple, dignified in sober, sensitive, and prepared for dignity and agility.
  • Appearance
    　Body are well-balanced, the skeleton is strong and tight, muscles, tendons and ligaments are well developed, there is no skin laxity and the male and female are clearly displayed. 66.7 cm (2 shaku 2 sun) for males, 60.6 cm (2 shaku) for females, and up to 3.03 cm (1 sun) for each top and bottom. The ratio of body height to chest depth is approximately 2:1.
  • The neck
    　is thick and strong, and it stands up moderately without skin laxity.
  • Skull
    　large, flat top of skull, broad forehead, no wrinkles, well-developed cheeks obviously round when fully grown.
  • Ears should
    　be small, thick, and triangular, lean forward moderately, straighten the ear line, and stand tensely, with an appropriate width between the ears.
    　
  • The muzzle: Muzzle and bridge of the nose are straight, full-bodied, thick at the base, thin at the tip, not sharp, and the nose speculum is tight and the lips are well tightened.
  • The teeth: Are strong and the bite is correct.
  • The chest: Is deep, the ribs are well stretched, the chest is developed, and the abdomen is moderately tuck.
    　
  • Forelimbs: The forelimbs are well developed with a moderate angle of shoulder blades and upper limbs, good elbows, straight forelegs, thick and strong, slightly sloping, large, round toes, thick and tight.
  • Hind: Hind legs The hind limbs are well developed, strong and powerful, have a moderate hock angle, are rich in resilience, and have thick toes that grip tightly.
  • The tail: Tail is thick and strong, and the length is almost up to the hock.
  • Coat: Fur is straight, densely hairy underneath, long on the back and buttocks, and longer than the rest of the tail.
  • Colour: White, red, sesame, brindle ('Tora')

Deduction

  • Acquired injuries and markedly poor nutritional management.
  • Unfavorable coat color for an Akita dog.
  • The iris is remarkably faint, which does not match the body color.
  • Missing teeth, tooth decay and incisal occlusion.
  • Tongue spot.
  • Especially weak in nature (cowardly, frivolous, etc.) and ferocious.
  • Other Akita dogs lacking in characteristics.

Disqualification

  • Something that is innately unnoticeable.
  • Those who do not have a tail roll innately.
  • Congenital remarkably short and long hair.
  • Remarkably protruded mandible, retracted mandible, and improper occlusion.
  • Nose color that does not match body color (white allows red nose)
  • testicles.
  • Others that lack the characteristics of Akita dogs.

Examination

　These are Akiho standards. This standard is like a constitution and serves as the basis for examination. Detailed screening policies will be determined separately by the screening panel.

　A dog that is inherently good may have poor appearance and body shape, and the nature of the dog and the results of the exhibition may not necessarily match. Ideally, the essence and the ranking should match, but in reality, the dog's condition, ring attitude, etc. are comprehensively judged.

　No matter how good a dog is, when it is sick, during a hair change period, or when it is poorly managed, it cannot fully demonstrate its true nature. Can't get top grades.

　It is said that the true beauty of Akita dogs cannot be seen until three years have passed since ancient times. Since that time, he has taken on the appearance of an old samurai with an astringent taste. There are dogs that get worse as they grow older, even if they are young and young, but dogs that get better as they grow up are inherently good dogs.

　However, it is a truly excellent dog that demonstrates consistent goodness from childhood to adulthood. There are five grades of evaluation, namely excellent, excellent, semi-excellent, certified, and disqualified. At the headquarters exhibition, the highest grade Akita dog will be awarded the "Akiu Medal of Honor".

Conclusion
　So far, I have explained the outline of Akita Inu, but according to the current statistics, only 4 to 5% of the number of domestic dogs in Japan are said to be pure dogs, and some % of them are Akita Inu. think. We must eliminate mongrel dogs and encourage pure and excellent Akita dogs.

The above are English translation from excerpt of  "Bookmark of Akita Inu" issued by Akita Inu Preservation Society.